Championship Season - AAA Winter Champs
Championship Season continues with the AAA SWAT swimmers getting their first chance for Provincial glory. Down at DalPlex March 7-9 21 #sackvillains hit the lanes for some short course fun. The club earned a combined 67 Personal Bests, qualified for 64 Finals swims winning 38 medals and 1482 points. There were two overall award winners for Sackville swimmers and 4 swimmers broke 14 club records. This meet was also the last opportunity to qualify for the Spring East Coast Championships at the end of the month and several swimmers added events to their ECC roster.
The Senior group carried the bulk of the load with 15 swimmers participating. The group earned 54 best times and raced in 54 finals. At finals they won 7 gold medals, 10 silver medals, and 13 bronze medals; they also earned 1273 total points. Gabe A had 3 best times over the course of the weekend, racing in 5 finals winning a silver medal, 2 bronze medals, and 98 points. He broke the 1:00 mark in the 100 Back for the first time. Elyse earned herself a pb in the 50 fly and appeared in 2 finals earning SWAT 23 points. Jack had the best times and 3 finals. He won 37 points including a 3 second best time in the 200 Breast in Finals. Maggie posted 5 new personal records and appeared in 3 finals and 34 points. She slipped through 3:00 in the 200 IM for the first time after cutting 3 seconds in the event. Victoria earned 2 personal bests. She also found a finals lane in all 6 of her events. She won three bronze medals and 92 points. Ethan improved 3 times over the three days, He made finals in the 5 events that had them and medals in all 6 events. He won gold in the 1500 Free slipping just under 17:00 for the first time. He won 2 more gold medals and added 3 silver medals en route to the 15o Male High Point Award. He also broke his 100 Back and 400 IM club records in both the 15-17 and Open age categories. Jason bested 4 of his old times and made finals in each of his 6 events. He won a silver medal, 4 bronze medals and 125 points. He dropped 8 seconds in the 50 back and broke through 30 seconds int eh 50 fly for the first time. Eugene managed 5 best times and 6 finals winning 2 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal totalling 195 points. His 50, 100, 200, and 400 Free times all broke club records in the 15-17 category and the 50 and 100 also broke the Open age category. His 200 Free in an exciting race and time of 1:56.05 won Male swim of the meet with a 627 FINA Point score. Ben L bettered 4 of his times and swam in 4 finals lanes earning 51 points for SWAT. He bested his 100 Breaststroke time by over 4 seconds and dropped his SCM 50 Fly under 30 seconds for the first time. He also added the 50 and 100 Breaststroke to his East Coast Champs roster. Taite had a similar weekend with 4 pbs and 4 finals. He won a bronze medal in the 200 Fly after dropping 4 seconds in the final and won 60 points from all finals swims. He adds the 100 Free, 100 Fly, and 200 Free to his ECC roster. Alana found 2 best times and 2 finals alongside her 800 Free Timed Final. She won the first SWAT medal on the weekend with a bronze in the 800 Free Friday night, and 47 total points. Ben P found 6 total best times and finals in 2 events winning 22 points. He swims under 1:00 in the 100 Free for the first time, dropped 3 or more seconds in the 100 Back, 100 Breaststroke, and 200 Breaststroke. He also earned his first ECC qualifying times in the 50 and 100 Free. Joel finished the weekend 5 pbs and 1 finals lane in the 200 Back winning 13 points. Haley added 5 best times and lanes in 6 finals. She had a total of 210 points from 2 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal. She broke 30 seconds in the 50 Free for the first time. She also broke 13-14 Women Club Records in the 50, 100, and 200 Fly events. Jess joined the party on Sunday after dealing with some illness and left with best times and 2 finals winning 26 points.
6 Junior swimmers filled out the rest of the squad. Many of them had short weekends as they prepare to join Team NS in Maine next weekend. Collectively they had 13 pbs and 11 Finals swims winning 3 medals and 209 points. Alex W had a full weekend with 4 best times and 4 finals. He earned 1 silver medal and 70 points. His pbs were all massive SCM improvements with 13 seconds off in the 200 Breaststroke, 23(!) in the 50 Fly, and under 3:00 after 12 seconds in the 200 Back (9 of which between Heats and Finals after dropping 3 in the morning). Marco makes his AAA debut after qualifying last weekend at AA Champs. He earned 2 best times from his 2 individual events and found a finals lane in 1 earning 14 points. Maria had 1 pb and 2 finals. She won medals from both with a gold and bronze medal winning 70 points. She also broke the 11-12 Women Club Record in the 50 Fly after cutting 3 seconds in the event. Sam H also was a perfect 2 for 2 on the short weekend and 1 Finals appearance winning 13 points. He improved his 100 Back time by 10 seconds. Nick H also had 2 best times and 1 final and 14 points. He dropped 17 seconds and 15 seconds in the 100 Free and the 100 Fly respectively. He added the 100 Free to his ECC roster. Addison was a perfect 2 for 2 for both personal bests and finals appearances winning 28 points. She dropped 7 seconds in the 200 Breaststroke. She also completed her East Coast Champs qualification and will be joining the ranks for the meet at the end of the month.
Finally, SWAT entered 8 relay teams throughout the weekend. On Friday night the Open 200 Medley Relays, filled with swimmers from all age categories, completed with SWAT earning a bronze medal from the Women A team of Alana, Victoria, Haley, and Maria. On Saturday, the 200 Free Relay had opportunities for each of the age groups. SWAT 13-14 Women of Haley, Addison, Victoria, and Maria; and 13-14 Men of Marco, Sam H, Alex, and Nick H both won bronze medals. At the 15o age group the Women of Elyse, Maria (pulling double duty up two age groups), Alana, and Maggie won bronze and the Men of Eugene, Jason, Taite, and Ethan won silver.
We are hallway through the Winter/Spring Championship Season. Team NS swimmers: Maria, Addison, Charlotte, Marco, Nick H, Ryan, and Sam H are off to Maine at the end of March Break for Maine State Champs trading the Green, White, and Black for the Blue and White Nova Scotia Caps. At the end of the month SWAT returns to DalPlex for East Coast Championships against swimmers and club form the four Atlantic provinces.